Motto

Thursday, 19 May 2011

Pesona Indonesia

Jamrud Khatulistiwa

Versi National Geographic

Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta

Photograph by Tony Hartawan

Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, one of the largest mosques in
the world, can hold more than 70,000 worshippers at a time. Arab traders
brought Islam to the region a thousand years ago. Today Indonesia is the
world's most populous Muslim country.

Borobudur Temple, Central Java

Photograph by Mark Bell, My Shot

Borobudur Temple was damaged in an earthquake and buried for centuries under
volcanic ash. Excavations began in the early 20th century.

Borobudur Temple, Central Java

Photograph by Mark Bell, My Shot

Construction of Java’s Borobudur Temple, one of the
world’s largest Buddhist monuments and a World Heritage site, began in the
eighth century, under the Sailendra dynasty. Framed by four volcanoes, it
stands 105 feet (32 meters) high

Mount Semeru and Mount
Bromo, East Java

Phograph by John Stanmeyer/National Geographic Stock

Some Indonesians believe that belching volcanoes such as
Mount Semeru (in background) and Mount Bromo (in foreground) are portals to a
subterranean world that has shaped not only Indonesia’s landscape but also its
beliefs and culture. A long exposure time captured stars in this photo—and the
brief balanced light from both a fading moon and a brightening eastern sky.

Goa Gajah, Bali

Phograph by Michael Nichols

The intricately carved walls of Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)
on the island of Bali depict leaves, waves, animals, and demons.

Balinese Dancers, Bali

Phograph byWei Seng Chen

Opulent costumes adorn performers in a Balinese barong
dance, which brings mythological characters to life in a struggle between good
and evil, complete with choreographed fight scenes reminiscent of professional
wrestling

Nusa Dua Temple,
Bali

Phograph by Ariyoshi Rita/photolibrary.com

Indonesian women take part in a procession to Nusa Dua
temple in southern Bali, carrying offerings atop their heads. Southern Bali is
also known for its beaches and five-star hotels.

Mount Penanggungan, Bali

Photograph by John Stanmeyer/National Geographic Stock

In a sacred pool on the slopes of Java’s Mount
Penanggungan, men bathe beside statues of Sri and Lakshmi, the consorts of the
Hindu god Vishnu.

Village Initiation,
Bali

Phograph by Mario Andi Supria

Young men in the Bali village of Tenganan take part in perang
pandan, a traditional ritual.

Rice Paddies

Phograph by Cho Kok Bin

Rice paddies cover terraces built into an Indonesian
hillside. Farmers on Java are surrounded by more than 30 volcanoes, which
provide the rich volcanic ash that allows them to harvest three crops of rice
in a season—unlike farmers on neighboring Borneo, who have only one volcano.

Pura Ulun Danu
Temple, Bali

Phograph by Muh Aulia

The water temple of Pura Ulun Danu on Lake Bratan in Bali
serves the faithful in the mountainous area near Bedugul.

Carved Mask

Phograph by Justin Guariglia

Bali craftsmen create everything from carvings to
paintings in hopes of catching a tourist’s eye. Traditional carved masks,
called topeng, are also used in Balinese dances.

Minangkabau Women

Photograph by Kabir Malek

Young Minangkabau women in traditional clothes wait to
perform a dance in Bagor.

Coffee Plantation,
West Java

Phograph by Kristian Cabanis/photolibrary.com

A woman pauses in an intricately carved doorway on a
coffee plantation in west Java. Draped across 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers),
Indonesia is a cloth of many colors, comprising five main islands and 30
smaller archipelagoes, with a collection of cultures as diverse as its
geography. Historically the center of wealth and power, the island of Java
still dominates, though 250 unique languages still survive.

Coral Reef,
Sulawesi

Phograph by Tim Laman

Scuba divers explore a coral reef off Manado Tua Island.
The island nations of the tropical western Pacific cradle the richest coral
life on the planet. The development of reefs owes much to oceanic volcanoes
such as Manado Tua, near the northeastern tip of Sulawesi. The submerged slopes
of the volcanoes give corals a toehold on which to grow.

Raja Ampat
Islands, Papua

Photograph by Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic Stock

The islands of Raja
Ampat may well be home to the greatest biodiversity in the world, with almost
600 species of coral, abundant plant life, and unique creatures, such as a
shark that walks on its fins and a shrimp that looks like a praying mantis

Orangutans, Kalimantan

Phograph by Stanislav Fosenbauer

Orangutans are native only to Indonesia and Malaysia. The
endangered great apes have lost much of their habitat to deforestation

Komodo Dragon, NTT

Phograph by Theo Allofs/Getty Images

Komodo National Park is the last sanctuary for the
endemic Komodo dragon, native only to Indonesia. Largest of all lizards, it can
reach a fearsome ten feet (three meters) in length.